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Wednesday, 15th October 2008

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Lesley Riddoch: Small wonders that inspire hope for the future of our islands



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Published Date: 09 June 2008
By Lesley Riddoch
THE Small Isles hit the headlines last week. Eigg officially took over its hydro-electric system; Canna declared itself rat-free after years of infestation; Muck prepared for the arrival of a Castaway living pod with new inhabitants; and Rum got the green light to transfer homes and farmland from Scottish Natural Heritage to the community.
Many mainland Scots will raise three cheers at this news – others will raise many more doubts. How much money is being lavished on how many people? What future do these remote islands have? Why should mainland Scots care?

Scepticism has become a ...



The full article contains 946 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 08 June 2008 9:15 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Lesley Riddoch
 
1

Hugo of Garven,

09/06/2008 07:58:53
"Even Scots."

Ouch.
2

Neil,

Glasgow 09/06/2008 11:51:16
"Scepticism has become defining characteristic of Scottishness."

Good though I thought it always was.

"The population of Eigg has risen from 65 in 1997 to 85 today, a percentage rise that would revolutionise Scottish life if reproduced across our declining nation. The consortium of Scottish companies behind Eigg's renewables mix is off to the Galapagos Islands next to install "Eiggtricity" there – other installation projects beckon. On Eigg itself the driest spring in living memory means drinking water will soon have to be shipped in. But happily – with solar and wind in the new energy mix – expensive diesel won't.

Study groups from communities across Britain are visiting Eigg to discover how islanders managed the internal disagreements currently delaying most other attempts to "go green""

The locals must feel like exhits in a zoo with all thaose (taxpayer funded) "study groups" coming round all the time. Just as the Ministry of Agricultre has long employed more people than there are farmers it is clear that the main beneficiaries of public subsidy of the islands are not the inhabitants but the swarms of "caring" bureaucrats whose jobs are to help them, & ensure they have the most expensive possible electricity.

If there was a real desire to make the islands prosperous we would be investing in the Scottish Tunnels Project to make them accessible, as Norway has long done.

 

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